One of the biggest highlights for over a year in 2018 effecting the lives of 500 low income people (over 10 percent of the population in Willits) was rent stabilization for Wagonwheel mobilehome park; after predatory rich investors purchased the park and raised the lot rent by a whopping 22 percent ($110 a month).

After months of meetings rent stabilization was put on the agenda, but on June 27, 2018 city council refused to pass it; forcing people to try to sell their homes or loose them due to excessive rent increases. Their excuse: “It would cost the city too much.” Nothing could be further from the truth, as rent stabilization ordinances are paid for by residents of the park, who would much rather pay $10 a month (which equals to $1,400 a month for the city to pay to push paperwork) than another $110 a month increase!! All of this information was given to every to every city council member, as 100 other cities in CA have passed rent stabilization for their mobile home parks, including Ukiah, CA! There are more reasons to pass rent stabilization than NOT. Another reason is that mobile home parks in Willits WERE the only affordable housing that is NOT government subsidized….It appears that Willits is now in violation of federal laws to help their citizens.

Strange….city council was on our side until the new city manager came on board…Bob Perrault was on the side of the people not politics..So sad for the low income people that make up our work force in Willits…not rich people, people that work in our local fast food industry, Safeway, Grocery Outlet, etc…what happens to our ever-shrinking population in Willits when the work force is gone?